Logitech, headquartered in Switzerland, has been making peripherals for computers for nearly 30 years. They're an international business that is well known and commonly preferred because of their quality. Keyboards weren't their first endeavor but it is a market that they are deeply submerged into now. Logitech makes keyboards for about every purpose. That includes everything from the standard basic keyboard, to the gaming keyboards with all their customization and features.

One of the most popular gaming keyboards is the Logitech G15 and it is also the TopTenREVIEWS Gold Award winner for this category. When we say one of the most popular, we mean not only out of the other Logitech keyboards but out of all the gaming keyboards on the market. The reason the Logitech G15 is so popular in the computer gaming world, and has been for years, is that it offers nearly every feature that gamers look for. There are a few little extras that it doesn't have, like headset ports for online communication and custom color backlighting. Those are a few things that can be found on other keyboards. Overall though, it is a very balanced board that promises effective benefits for anyone who plays computer games.

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Design

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9.4/10

Corsair Vengeance K95

Roccat Ryos MK Pro

Logitech G710+

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MadCatz STRIKE 7

10

9.6

9.3

9

8.8

9.6

9.3

9

7.3

8.3

The Logitech G15 offers a couple features that are absolute musts for a gaming computer. One of those is a set of media keys for controlling volume, navigating songs and pausing your favorite tunes while you listen to the dialog of your new game. Exiting out of the game, hitting the windows key or "alt-tabbing" to your media player, so that you can do any of those functions, really isn't hard but it's less convenient. Gaming keyboards are all about convenience.

The useful media keys can be found on the Logitech G15, along with a gaming mode switch that deactivates the windows key. This is nice to have so that you don't accidentally exit out of the game during a panicked flurry of button mashing as you attempt survive. There are many things that can aggravate a gamer, but losing or missing something important due to an accidental exit is one of the worst for your blood pressure.

The other must-have feature included in the Logitech G15 is anti-ghosting. Ghosting is the phrase used when you hit multiple keys and the keyboard does strange things like not register some of the keys or throws in odd ones. Some games require a little button mashing to be competitive and the last thing you want is for something not to work right. Because of that problem, gaming keyboards typically have anti-ghosting which allows multiple keys to be pressed simultaneously without errors. The Logitech G15 gaming keyboard has this feature even though the company doesn't talk about it much.

Those are the three main features that you want but Logitech's G15 gaming keyboard doesn't stop there. It also comes with an LCD screen on the keyboard that can be programmed to display a variety of information. Through the SDK (software development kit) program you can create your own custom displays or download the ones that other people have created. There are programs for telling you everything from the temperatures of your hardware, to game statistics like what the score is. All in all this is a fun little feature to have and use for modifying your keyboard to do what you want it to.

Features

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9.5/10

Corsair Vengeance K95

Roccat Ryos MK Pro

Logitech G710+

Razer Black Widow Ultimate 2014

Rosewill RGB80

Cooler Master QuickFire Rapid-i

Ducky Shine 3

Gigabyte Aivia Osmium

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MadCatz STRIKE 7

10

10

9.6

9

9.5

9.3

9.3

7.5

8.8

7.5

The design of a keyboard is important. When you look for a gaming keyboard there are a few design factors that are nice to have. Backlighting, so you can see the keys in the dark, is surprisingly convenient. If you play in the dark or even poor lighting this is a good thing to have. Anytime the screen is the brightest thing in the room, it's hard to transition quickly between looking at your monitor and your keyboard. With backlighting though, you can glance down for a quick repositioning of your hands without the delay of having to wait for your eyes to adjust. The Logitech G15 gaming keyboard has backlighting. It only has one color, but the brightness of the backlighting is adjustable.

Gamers are sometimes pretty rough on their peripherals so it's good to have a tough gaming keyboard that can take a little abuse. Another important thing to have is a removable wrist rest. Everyone has their preference of how they like to sit. It's important to be comfortable and have your wrists lined up accordingly, so that you don't run as much risk of having joint problems like carpal tunnel.

The Logitech G15 has all three of those key features as well as a few more. This keyboard connects to your computer via USB. It has a USB hub for connecting your mouse and headphones. Unfortunately though, they are only USB 1.0 capable, which means anything connected through them won't be as fast as it would be if connected through a USB 2.0 port. Anything that requires USB 2.0 probably won't work at all.

As with the LCD screen, the Logitech G15 has another unique feature. On the bottom of the board you will find grooves. These grooves are for managing your cables. They are designed to hold cables, which helps eliminate a cluttered tangled mess of them on your desk.

Customization

Compare

9.4/10

Corsair Vengeance K95

Roccat Ryos MK Pro

Logitech G710+

Razer Black Widow Ultimate 2014

Rosewill RGB80

Cooler Master QuickFire Rapid-i

Ducky Shine 3

Gigabyte Aivia Osmium

SteelSeries Apex

MadCatz STRIKE 7

9.8

10

9.4

10

8.8

3.1

3.8

8.8

9.6

8.8

Just like with features and design, there are a few customization options that are important to have. Most gamers want a keyboard that gives you the option to program keys to do custom commands. The Logitech G15 gaming keyboard has six dedicated programmable keys that allow you to do exactly that. Six isn't enough? Don't worry because it also has three profiles that you can switch between, which gives you a total of 18 custom functions that it can perform.

To go along with that this keyboard has the option to program macros to those keys. Macros are a series of functions and they can be very useful in a variety of games. These macros can even be programmed on the fly. The Logitech G15 has a macro recording button that allows for this so that they can be quickly made, set and ready to use.

G15 Summary:

9.4/10

As you can see, the Logitech G15 gaming keyboard is designed well, with gamers in mind. It has all the major functions that you need, plus a few extras to sweeten the deal even more. There are a few little things that it doesn't have but it still is one of the best gaming keyboards on the market.